Mr. C. C. Babington on the Batrachian Ranunculi. 389 



lobes or leaflets^ that is^ the outer margins of the leaf, are either 

 straight from their base throughout a considerable part of their 

 extent, or their lower part is much rounded; therefore the 

 leaflets are wedge-shaped or obovate. 



In most of the species, the peduncles spring from the same 

 nodes as both the divided and submersed, and the flat and 

 floating leaves ; but in the plant called R. peltatus in this paper, 

 they are very rarely produced in the former situation ; so rarely, 

 as to have caused Fries to denominate the floating leaves '^ folia 

 necessaria" in that plant. The peduncles either about equal 

 the leaves or much exceed them, and then raise the flowers 

 considerably out of the water. They are either equally thick 

 throughout their length, or narrow more or less gradually to- 

 wards the flower. 



The petals are either broad with many veins, or narrow and 

 usually few- veined. In the former case, the edges of contiguous 

 petals are close together, and often overlap ; in the latter, they 

 are usually distant, and give what I have called a star-like 

 appearance to the flower. As the flowers of the broad-petaled 

 species advance towards decay, they acquire a slightly similar 

 look j for the petals, which had originally a rounded form, 

 lengthen so much that their lower part becomes wedge-shaped, 

 and the flower rather star-like. 



In two of our species, the stamens are so short as to be 

 exceeded by the pistils, but usually they conspicuously overtop 

 those organs. 



Although the stigma varies in shape, it is not easy to apply 

 this difierence to the discrimination of the species, for it changes 

 its form as it acquires age. 



Not much dependence should be placed upon the position of 

 the style, for apparently it generally forms a continuation of the 

 inner, or nearly straight side of the ovary. 



The carpels difi"er much in shape, but usually form the half 

 of an ovate or obovate figure ; the inner or upper edge is usually 

 almost straight, but not always so, and then the carpel is often 

 nearly ovate or obovate. On these latter forms of carpel, the 

 persistent base of the style, or slight apiculus that represents it, 

 nearly terminates the diameter of the carpel ; but on the others 

 it usually is connected with the straight side, being placed at 

 its end, but forming an angle with it. The carpels are usually 

 compressed laterally, and their coats closely enclose the seed ; 

 but in some cases they are inflated in their upper part, or slightly 

 so throughout. These inflated carpels are, therefore, broadest 

 at the end ; but in some of the species where they are not in- 

 flated, a narrowing and flattening occurs at the end. 



